The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek)

As Evelyn entered the kitchen, the scent of warm toast filled the air, and she spotted Derek breaking eggs into a bowl, focused as he whisked them. He looked up and smiled as she approached. "Come, sit," he said, holding out the kitchen island stool for her. "I can do it myself," she replied with a slight chuckle, but Derek shook his head.

"You don't have to when I'm here," he said with a gentle smile, guiding her onto the stool.

Once she settled, she wrinkled her nose as she gazed at the egg, "I don't want eggs. I don't think I can send the smell," she said, and Derek nodded. "Noted. I guess we won't be eating eggs for a while then. I will just make this for your dad and Rayna," he said, and she raised a brow.

"You can eat them.."

"Nope. I won't eat anything you can't it. It's called solidarity. If carrying our baby makes you unable to eat it, then I shouldn't too," he said, and she grinned. "Aww. That's so sweet. I can't wait to see how long this solidarity will last," she said, and he chuckled.

"I guess you don't know yet how much you or this pregnancy means to me. You'll find out soon enough," he promised as he set aside the bowl of egg and tried to find something else for them to eat with the toasts.

"So, how's Maya doing?" He asked, and Evelyn sighed, glancing at the counter as she thought back on their conversation. "She's... dealing with a lot. We talked, and she opened up a bit.

She's got some health concerns and... she wants to quit."

"Quit?" Derek asked with a slight frown.

"Yeah. You didn't expect her to work as Samantha's nanny forever, did you?" Evelyn asked, and Derek shook his head.

"Not exactly. I guess not. It's just... you know, I just sort of got used to her. I always saw her with Sam and at some point I thought she was Samantha's mom even though I also thought she looked too young to be the Mom..." "Too young?" Evelyn cut in with a laugh, "Don't be fooled by her petite frame. Maya is twenty nine. She's older than me."

"She is?" Derek asked, surprised, "Well, I just can't imagine not having her around. That's what I'm trying to say. She is always so calm and keeps to herself. And she smiles a lot," he said, and Evelyn smiled.

"She has grown on you, hasn't she?" Evelyn asked, and Derek shrugged.

"I can't deny that. So, what's her plan? Does she want to go back to her family?" Derek asked, and Evelyn paused, collecting her thoughts.

"No, she doesn't. Her mother passed when she was young, and

she grew up with an abusive stepfather. She became Samantha's nanny to save up for school and to get away from him. I asked her to stay here if she wants to. She is family to me."

Derek's expression softened with compassion. "That's sad.

Sounds like she's been through so much. No one should have to face that alone." After a thoughtful pause, he added, "Well, if it helps, I'd be more than happy to support her with her school. She doesn't need to worry about saving up anymore." Evelyn's eyes widened in surprise, and a warm smile broke across her face. "You'd do that?"

Derek nodded firmly. "You said it yourself. She's family now.

Besides, everyone deserves a chance."

They both turned to the door when they heard Maya's gasp, and they exchanged a look.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

"Did you want something, Maya?" Evelyn asked gently as she rose to meet her.

Maya looked down as tears fell from her eyes, "I... came to fix breakfast. I don't understand how you both can be so kind to me," She paused, struggling to find the right words. "I never really had anyone who truly cared about me this way until I met you. I guess that was why I stayed this long. I... I'm not used to it." Evelyn placed a reassuring hand on Maya's shoulder. "Well, get used to it because you have us now. You're not alone anymore."

Maya offered a small, grateful smile. "Thank you, Evelyn. I really don't know what I'd do without you. Thank you, Derek."

"Anytime, Maya. And remember, you're part of this family now," Evelyn said warmly. "Now, how about you take it easy today? You can take the day off. We have things covered here. I'll bring breakfast to you when we are done." "And if you need anything, just let us know," Derek added as he neatly diced some fruits.

Maya nodded, wiping away the last traces of her tears as Evelyn gave her a final squeeze on the shoulder before letting her go.

After Maya left, Evelyn reached out to give Derek's hand a grateful squeeze. "You really are a kind man, Derek. I'm so lucky to have you," she said, and he chuckled.

"I'm the one who is lucky to have you. I am almost tempted to reward Michael and Sandra for breaking your heart so I could find you," he said and she giggled as she hit his arm playfully.

"How can you joke about something like that?" She asked, and he grinned.

"You're laughing, aren't you?" He asked, and she sighed.

"You know, I just realized I never properly thanked you for that day.

I mean the first day we met..."

"For the sex?" Derek teased with a chuckle, and she glared at him, but color rose in her cheeks.

Derek laughed, brushing off her thanks. "If anyone should be grateful, it's me. After all, you helped me by crashing into my car and letting me meet the love of my life."

They shared a laugh, and Evelyn shook her head, amused. "Alright, you win. Let's hurry up with breakfast. We need to get to the hospital in time to serve them breakfast." Just then, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and saw Sarah's name flashing.

"Hello?" Evelyn answered.

"Hi, Evelyn. I just called to let you know I'm taking Samantha and Ella to the hospital to visit my brother-in-law. Just wanted to make sure it's alright," Sarah explained. "That's perfect, Sarah. I was just about to head to the hospital too.

I'll meet you there and take Samantha home afterward," Evelyn replied, a smile in her voice.

Once she hung up, she looked at Derek, who was now placing a plate of toast and a small bowl of diced fruits with a glass of orange juice in front of her. "All set. Breakfast is served."

As they began eating, she glanced at him thoughtfully. "D, do you think there's enough evidence to prosecute Sandra? I mean apart from what she did to my mother and Ethan, can she still be punished for attempting to murder me? We don't have any hard proof of her plotting to kill me or Michael."

Derek's expression grew serious. "Actually, we do have enough. I made an agreement with the hitman. He's willing to confess to his crime and present the recordings of their conversations, claiming them as his own records. In exchange, I'll ensure his mother and daughter are cared for." Evelyn let out a relieved sigh. "Well, that's... a huge relief."

Derek nodded. "We're going to make sure justice is served."

As Evelyn took a sip of her orange juice, Derek picked up his phone. "That reminds me, I should inform my parents of the arrest."

Evelyn continued her breakfast as Derek dialed his father's number. When his father answered, Derek placed the call on speaker as he shared the news, explaining the events from the previous night in detail.

Evelyn could hear the surprise and shock in his father's voice, and moments later, his mother joined in, reacting with the same disbelief and relief that Sandra had been locked up.

"It's so sad how that poor woman could have a daughter like that.

I'm

grateful this will no s will no longer cloud my birthday," his mother said finally.

"Yeah. We will stop by to see them. We will just meet you both at the hospital," his father added before they hung up the call.

finished her breakfast, and as she took breakfast up to Maya, Derek prepared and packed the breakfast for her dad and Rayna.

Evelyn finis

A short while later, they headed out. When they arrived at the hospital, they first visited Claire's room. Her father looked up as they entered, his face lighting up at the sight of Evelyn. "How are you, Dad?" she asked, moving closer.

"I'm holding up. I should be the one asking you how you're doing," he replied, giving her a warm smile.

Evelyn handed him one of the food packs. "Here, We brought breakfast. Specially prepared by Derek. How's Mom doing?"

Her father sighed, glancing at Claire's still figure in the bed. "The doctors said she's stable, and she's supposed to wake up soon.

But... for some reason, she hasn't."

Evelyn's expression softened. "Maybe... subconsciously, she doesn't want to face everything Sandra's done."

Her father nodded, looking resigned. "Maybe."

"Thanks for taking good care of her, Derek," Eric said, turning to Derek.

"It's my life's duty," he said, and Evelyn rolled her eyes, but smiled warmly at him.

As they spoke, Derek's parents entered, carrying a basket of fresh fruit. They greeted Evelyn's father and expressed their sympathy for all that had happened.

"Dad, you should eat" Evelyn urged her father as she opened the food container, but as soon as she caught the scent of eggs and bacon, Evelyn felt a wave of nausea hit her. "Excuse me," she murmured, dashing into the bathroom with Derek close behind.

As she retched, Derek held her hair back, gently rubbing her back until the wave passed.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his face etched with concern.

Evelyn managed a weak smile. "It's the smell. I really can't stand it."

When they returned, Evelyn's father chuckled softly as he covered the container. "You're just like your mother. She was the same way when she was pregnant."

Derek's parents exchanged surprised glances, and Derek's mother gasped, her eyes lighting up. "Evelyn, are you pregnant?"

Evelyn's cheeks turned pink, but she nodded shyly. Derek's grin spread wide as he confirmed, "Yes, she is. We found out yesterday."

Derek's mother wrapped Evelyn in a warm hug, beaming. "Oh, this is wonderful! We'll have to plan the wedding right away."

Evelyn laughed. "We'll wait until my mother wakes up. She should be a part of it."

Derek's mother nodded, her smile softening. "Of course. Let's hope she wakes soon."

Derek's father placed a comforting hand on Evelyn's shoulder. "You have made me so happy, Evelyn. Anything you want, Evelyn, just say the word. Consider it a blank cheque." Evelyn grinned, feeling the warmth of their love around her. "Thank you. I'll have to give it some thought."

She was happy knowing that unlike her first pregnancy, she was surrounded by so much love and she didn't have to do any of it alone.